In existing electric motors, discharge occurs via an earth connection of the wound stator of said electric motors to the motor support of said electric motors by means of screws, in order to provide the electric motor with the required electromagnetic compatibility (EMC).
Furthermore, DE 10 2012 222683 A1 discloses an electric motor comprising a housing which is closed by means of a cover and comprises a connector part held between the housing and the cover for electrically contacting the electric motor. The housing is in this case manufactured from steel, the connector part from plastics material and the cover from an electrically conductive material. In this case, a plurality of steel spring clips are arranged so as to be distributed over the periphery of the electric motor, which clips each engage behind the cover and the housing in a prestressed manner, such that the cover, housing and connector part are fastened to one another. An electrically conductive connection from the cover to the housing is established by means of the steel spring clips and the electrically conductive design of the cover, which connection can in particular be used as an earth terminal or earth connection for electrical/electronic components provided on the cover.
Because the steel spring clips are used to fasten the housing and the cover, they require additional installation space. Furthermore, a sufficient number of steel spring clips must be provided in order to fasten the housing and cover together in a satisfactory manner.